Math Supports for Peel Region Students and Parents

Published on July 10, 2019

New Investments will Help Improve Math Skills

MISSISSAUGA — Ontario’s Government is launching a major effort to strengthen math skills for all students in the province.

“I'm proud that our government is investing $2,306,000 to help Peel Region students build the math knowledge and skills they need to succeed now, and in the future,” said Rudy Cuzzetto, MPP for Mississauga-Lakeshore.

These local supports are part of a four-year math strategy, that is focused on fundamental math concepts and skills, and how to apply them. In 2019-2020, Ontario will be supporting the strategy with a $55-million investment. The math strategy will ensure that students are prepared for success in the classroom and in their future, teachers are confident and capable in teaching math, and parents and families are confident and equipped to support their kids.

"We are listening to parents and educators. Ontario students need greater support to strengthen their math skills to achieve success in school and into their careers. This investment provides our young people with access to the skills they need to enter the workforce with confidence, and further underscores our government's focus on STEM in the classroom," said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.

In addition to funding for Peel Region school boards, the government is committed to helping improve math scores by investing more than $6 million for summer initiatives throughout the province.

In Peel Region, local school boards are offering a three-week, math-focused Summer Learning Program for students in Kindergarten to Grade 5. This will help students who require additional supports minimize summer learning loss, build confidence, increase skills, and have greater success during the regular school year.

The Government has also launched a virtual resource, which will act as a summer learning refresher for students and parents. The online resource, called Math at Home, will help support student learning, mitigate against summer learning loss and ensure parents are aware of opportunities to help prepare their child for success in math.

Other resources available throughout most of the year for students and parents include:

• TVO's Mathify: Ontario Certified Teachers provide free one-on-one English-language math tutoring for students in grades 7 to 10.• SOS Devoirs: Ontario Certified Teachers provide free one-on-one tutoring and educational resources in all subjects for French-language students from grades 1 to 12.• Doing Mathematics with Your Child: a guide for parents to help their children from Kindergarten to Grade 6.• Frontier College programs: that support the development of foundational literacy and numeracy skills of high-priority students who live in under-served communities, including First Nations and remote communities.

Ontario’s four-year math strategy is an important step towards ensuring Ontario’s publicly funded education system sets our students up for success today and tomorrow.

Quick Facts

Overall, provincial performance results based on the EQAO mathematics assessments have shown a decline in recent years at the Grade 3 and Grade 6 levels in the English language school systems.

Over the next four years, Ontario is rolling out a revised math curriculum for all students in all grades that will focus on the fundamentals of mathematics and how to apply them.

In Spring 2020, new teachers will be required to pass a math content knowledge test before they enter the classroom in a professional capacity. This will ensure teachers are confident and capable in teaching math.